I exclusively pumped for my daughter and I hated every minute of it. I am getting to nurse my son. So now I only pump for relief. And I have been worried about my supply and I’ve been shaming myself about not pumping enough. With all that being said, thank you for this video. 💕
I REALLY needed this video! First time my daughter and I just couldn’t get the hang of breastfeeding so I exclusively pumped for a year to give her my milk. Second time around was twins they were great nursers and I had a huge supply naturally so I never needed to pump but I still felt I should be just in case bc I was feeding two. In 14 months I never needed the freezer milk once! Baby number four coming in June and for the first time you’ve given me permission! I don’t need to be a slave to the pump and I won’t be! Thank you!
I’m an RN/IBCLC and I agree w your ‘rant’. It’s so hard reading the comments and questions from moms to moms on social media sites. Thank you for posting this, for us and for moms out there!
Thank you for the freezer stash comment!!! I pump when at work and have a freezer stash of about 75 oz that I have for days I pump less. The people on my exclusive pumping group have +1000 oz and I just don't get it. They also deal with engorgement and mastitis and I've never dealt with that with 3 kids. I don't have an oversupply, but I pump 4-6 oz a session which is exactly what my baby eats. I sometimes I have to remind myself that its normal. I also don't wake up in the middle of the night to pump when my baby sleeps (we nurse at home). My supply has not dropped at all and my baby is 5 1/2 months old. There are so many misconceptions out there!
You are a PERFECT example of just going with the flow and not stressing all the extras! Bravo for recognizing what you want, need, and making it happen is a way that works for you 💕
Love this! Sometimes the information/marketing overload can really stress a new mom out. It can even stress out an experienced mom to be honest. Thanks for setting the record straight!
Im.expecting in the summer and I love this video! Thank you for debunking the NEED for a pump. I really was under that impression that I NEEDED this and it was a part of my breastfeeding journey.
I’ve been exclusively breastfeeding for the past 3 months with my first baby and I’ve never pumped! To me pumping seemed like a hassle and one more thing to clean/sanitize/keep up with. For us it has worked out great, because I’m a SAHM. I’m sure pumping helpful if you need to, but not pumping is working out great for us. :)
Extremely helpful! As a FTM I also felt I needed a freezer stash even though I work at home and I'm not away from my baby. This video was made for me. 😅
I'm getting ready to have my 4th baby and I wish I would've found these videos years ago. I've given up on breast feeding so early with all my other babies because people made me feel like I was failing or not able to do enough because I couldn't make milk to store. I always thought I had feed at the breast, pump and bottle feed and I literally couldn't do. It was physically, mentally and emotionally exhausting and I couldn't do it for more than 3 the months. I can't wait to go into this next journey with fresh eyes.
Pumping is breastfeeding. I’m so thankful that amazing pumps exist. It wasn’t my plan but having preemie twins, nursing them directly is just not in the cards.
I’m an almost exclusive pumper not by choice, so I’m grateful for the pump that still allows my baby to get breast milk. But my mom breastfed me until 2 years of age and she told me that I never, not once, used a baby bottle. She definitely never owned a pump. So it is possible for sure.
I exclusively breastfed my first. I had an oversupply, so I would use the Haakaa on the other side to catch what would spray out while I nursed her, but the last thing I wanted to do was anything that might increase my supply. Funny enough, the first time I ever hooked up my pump was to try and induce labour with my second (so it pretty much sat and collected dust for almost 2 years). Good thing I took the time then to figure out how to work a pump... my second was born with a cleft palate so this time I’m an exclusive pumping mama! What a different journey. Thank you so much Allison for all your very helpful videos and reviews. I ended up getting a Spectra Dual S Compact and Iove it! To all the mamas out there who are feeling the pressure to pump... having been an EBF mama and now an EP mama, I would choose EBF in a heartbeat if I could. Don’t pump if you don’t have to and don’t want to!!
Love this! Watching while I am pumping actually 🤣 My first was a preemie (34 weeks) and I pumped for 8 weeks until he was big enough snd strong enough to breastfeed. Once he got it figured out, I was thrilled to ditch the pump and NEVER used one again in 4.5 years of breastfeeding. Just had my second baby and this time will be exclusively pumping due to the baby having cleft lip/palate. I am grateful we have this option but I really wish we could just breastfeed instead.
Such a helpful video, thank you! There's such a toxic culture, now, about needing to pump and being a failure if we can't pump 10oz per side every time (hey, momcozy, I'm looking at you and your sneaky marketing!). I've been in such a battle with my pediatrician over my baby's weight. He's expecting him to be a 25 pound baby at 5 months, he was 5lbs 12oz at birth, and insists that I pump around the clock, supplement with copious amounts of formula and take medication for my supply... I don't have a low supply and my son is thriving but he says "all other mothers pump, it's what you should do". There's so much blatant misinformation out there that it's nice to have a channel like this to turn to and share. Long story short, thank you
Thank you for sharing your thoughts on this 💕 I feel the same! No need to introduce a pump unless it’s indicated or the mother chooses to. Way to stick to what you want!
I think the reason I feel the need to get a pump as a first time (soon to be stay at home) mom is because I want to have flexibility. Baby will be born in the middle of summer. We will definitely be traveling to our other house 4.5 hours away weekly or doing summer activities so I want to have options. I also want other people to be able to help me if I need it. Of course, I don't know everything because I haven't done this before.
Omg thank you for this refresher! Im ebf my 5month old and constantly feel guilty! Like is it enough!? Other moms pump and give bottles upon bottles ...and then i literally have to reassure myself that he feeds when hes hungry, unlatches himself, has good diaper output, is very active and is spot on with his weight and above average for height ! Media ...just making it even harder for mothers!
Great video! Thank you for sharing this rant. I’m not a mom yet but I had also fallen into the “I have to have a pump” (or even multiple pumps) mentality. I work full time but as a nanny and baby will be coming to work with me. I would like my husband to feed baby a bottle a day so I need a little freezer stash but probably nowhere near the pumping I had been mentally preparing myself for, and definitely only one pump. Lol
Love this! For my 1st I thought I needed to pump right away but luckily I had supportive friends that said NO! Bond with the baby. And that's what I did. I worked on a small stash before I returned to work.
Thanks for your words of wisdom! I never pumped with my first and didn't feel guilty at all. With my second I did pump and circumstances made it necessary, but it was on occasion. Mainly I nursed on demand.
The title does not match the content of this video. I thought that you were going to rant about mom’s exclusively pumping and trying to telling people not to pump. I think if you change your title to mention latching mama’s that the title will be more true to content. I think your content in this video is great though. I know so many mama’s who need to see this. I also know a couple mama’s who supply other women with breast milk. I am an exclusive pumper by necessity. I latched my first born for three month through a terrible latch and through terrible infections that I just did not heal from. My skin is really bad and I have dermatitis so my skin would not heal. With my second I lasted one week with latching. I went to pumping after that. I stocked my deep freeze as much as possible because pumping is way to time consuming with a baby and a toddler. My first born was eight months old when I got pregnant. If I have additional children I will go straight to exclusive pumping so I don’t have to take a month to heal from one week of latching. Both children would not latch deep enough and had tongue ties. My first born did not get hers dealt with until she was almost 3 months and the second got hers done on the second day after she was born.
I nursed 10 babies without pumping more than a handful of times. My 11th has down syndrome and with his low tone he wasn't gaining weight and I started pumping and giving bottles. My eyes were opened to this whole pumping world! Wow. I didn't even know insurance would give me a pump. I'm thankful for it now but loved the simplicity of just nursing!
Thank you Allison. I was hell bent on creating a stash and becoming an over producer and even not being able to keep up with the milk demand bc I’m an exclusive pumper… not by choice. My baby prefers bottle feeding and I’ve accepted this, however he will latch with my haakaa nipple shield. Ultimately I’ve come to terms with the fact that I won’t be able to increase my produce by way of my baby. … but also not by way of my pump due to elastic nipple, cracked nipple and so on. I’ve been through it but I’ve learned so much thx to you
I ended up having to exclusively pump and had a lot of extra milk at first, so I had a large freezer stash. Fast forward to 7-8 months post partum, I had plenty of issues that led to needing to constantly pump and dump and eventually my supply just tanked. She also had a tummy bug that led us to stopping solids for a bit so she needed way more milk than I was making at the time, and the stash was so useful then. Thankfully my freezer stash is enough to bridge the gap to get us to 1 year. I'm planning to try nursing again if we are lucky to have baby #2, but will definitely still pump for that extra supply. Definitely agree that moms shouldnt feel like they have to pump, but also good to know that sometimes we need that freezer stash even when we didnt expect to need it 🤷🏼♀️ surely you could use formula, no problems with that. But personally I was really hoping to get at least to 12 months with breastmilk, and if it wasnt for my large pumped stash, it wouldnt have happened.
Allison, thank you so much for making this post. I desire to become an IBCLC for this exact reason. I recently had my first child and a LOT of the breastfeeding basics websites all say get a good pump. As I learned more about breastfeeding, I was saddened that so much good information was left out, and the emphasis was placed on pumping. Thank you!!!
I'm a stay at home breastfeeding mom and I like to pump for extra milk 🤷🏻♀️ I like for baby to have a bottle (but cup now) of milk in the morning with Dad and I give the extra to my 2 year old twins.
Great video!!! I only pump while at work!! I would love if I didn’t have to pump as I love my days off where I don’t pump at all, it is precious time with my daughter! Both of my sister-in-laws breastfeed each of their 4 babies and only pumped maybe a dozen time total for the whole year just to have milk for date night! It totally can be done not having to pump!
Thank you!!! I was so stressed out in the beginning and then thought to myself “Why am I listening to these you tubers you say I need to pump every two hours!” Forget that! I built a good stash before I returned to work and it was mainly from my haaka. I only pump when I’m at work and that’s that. I constantly remind myself to eat and I’ve always drank plenty of water. I want to spend time with my baby not pump every two hours
I had to pump when baby was in the NICU but I would have preferred not to! I only pump while away from baby at work. If I were a stay at home mom, I wouldn’t pump at all.
I wanted this to be my experience with my little girl. Unfortunately, exclusively breastfeeding only lasted one week. I was cut severely on both nipples and currently have mastitis. My little girl is 3 weeks now. It feels like I’ve been pumping for decades lol I’m tired. So… if there is an exclusive breastfeeding mom reading this, if you don’t have to pump, don’t pump! I believe that nursing a baby is actually easier. If you do pump, I think Allison is correct in saying you only need but 10-12oz if you are planning to be away from baby. I have way too many ounces in my fridge… and there’s really nothing to brag about. I also have mastitis due to over supply. So don’t over do it, mom! You don’t have to. ❤
I have pcos so i undersupply even with 8 pumps a day. My son has a tongue tie so sadly pumping is my only option. There’s way too much pressure on moms in general but especially around breastfeeding.
Thank you for setting the record straight on the freezer stash. I think it's great that women can produce that much but realistically when are babies going to eat more outside of what they already eat?
Something I remembered hearing only once before I gave birth was that some babies prefer either the left or right and that they will refuse to use the other they don't prefer and that's ok. Everything I heard after I gave birth was "you need to nurse and or pump both breast. Or to cluster pump" and I didn't know what to do moving forward because the hospital gave me a million reasons why I could not talk to their lactation consultant and in the end I stopped breast feeding because I HATED pumping and everytime I nursed my baby was definitely not getting enough milk because we would nurse for an hour and as soon as I took him off he would just cry as if he was hungry. I HATED pumping and i still do. It's just a reminder of how I failed and i had zero support from the hospital and female relatives too. I really want things to be different with my second baby (I'm currently pregnant with my second child ❤️)
As a working mom I have to disagree about the freezer stash. Pumps are less efficient than babies and I was never able to pump enough milk at work to feed my baby the next day so we had to supplement. I wish I had a freezer srash for those extra 5 ounces I needed everyday.
Needs do vary between each mom and baby, that’s for sure! Working moms, stay at home moms, single moms, exclusively pumping moms, and so many others inbetween! This video is mostly geared towards those who are exclusively breastfeeding and with baby most of the time.
Great video! I think we just need to keep educating moms because pumps are available doesn’t mean you have to/need to use it. The same thing doesn’t work for everyone. If you want to breastfeed just do that, if you want to exclusively pump go ahead, if you want to do both great! Or even if you hand express it’s ok. Just know the goal is that the baby must get fed and find the method that works best for you!
Wish I saw this video sooner. I made the mistake of pumping and bottle feeding my second son too early after he was born and ended up having to exclusively pump for him for almost a year because he would Not latch again. It broke my heart and made feeding him so much more work. Not to mention I felt robbed of m bonding with him.
It's astounding how many people don't trust their body to produce enough milk for their babies. I have a pump because I was always planning on going back to work after 6 months. It is handy to have milk in the freezer for my husband in case I need/want to go out without bub. But you don't NEED a pump. Baby will stimulate supply 🤷♀️
I needed this. I have a 3 week old baby girl and I've been pumping but shes never been given a bottle. I only pump when I felt like I needed to. So if she decided to barely eat when I woke her up in the middle of the night.
With my first, I only ever pumped if I was overproducing because it was very painful. I would pump until it's comfortable again and I was good. We exclusively breastfed unless I was away from him for any amount of time. I had a few bags of milk that I would store in the freezer for those occasions. I didn't feel the need to pump more because I was always with him and my milk supply was great. I love all of the info in this video!
Thanks for this video. I for one also thought I should have been pumping. I’m a breastfeeding mumma, have for my first who is 2.5 yrs now. I pumped with the hakka because I found that easier to clean than the medela and pumped only when I was going out. But the rest was on the boob. doing for my second as well the same way. All my friends have pumped and for a second there I thought I should be doing that too. But I find just breastfeeding is so much easier for me.
Pumping can be stressful! My (early) baby did not want to breastfeed for a few weeks so I pumped and supplemented while he got the hang of it and now two months later I am (almost) exclusively breastfeeding... but it’s such a big help for my husband to give him one or two bottles so I can rest. I pump to fill those bottles and I would honestly just use formula once or twice a day but of course, I worry about my supply 😳
Woah what a Time Machine to go back and see this comment after my second baby is born 😂 my breastfeeding journey was SUPER rocky the first go-round but things are already off to a better start with baby #2 even though she’s pre-term. I just have so much better support + education + did I mention support this time around. I love that I still find these videos SUPER helpful!
With my first child I only pumped at work but, I worked nights and she hated bottles. But, I stopped pumping the day she turned 1 and she nursed until 2.5 years old. With my second kiddo I pump a lot more but, I work 24-48 hour shifts now as a paramedic so I don't have a choice. But, if I was with my baby all the time I think I would rarely pump because it's kind of a pain in the ass
As a FTM I feel guilty for not pumping daily as scheduled, thanks to this video, I feel relieved. I do feed my child on demand ( she feeds every 1 hr 30 during the day and during the night she eats less. She eats about 10 to 12times per day to be exact).
I nursed 3 kids for 2-4 years each. A week before going back to work I did a daily AM pump (just a few oz) to build up 2 days worth of freezer milk for an emergency in case a bottle was spilled. What I pumped on Monday at work, was fed on Tuesday (making sure they were fed with paced bottle-feeding technique) and it was usually exactly enough. I never ran out; in fact I collected enough (ounce by ounce over about 9 months) to do a one time donation to my local milk bank.
I watched a video not long ago telling me to pump after nursing or else my supply will dry up. I’ve been stressing about incorporating pumping into my life for the pass week. I thought I had to pump in order to empty my breasts or else how would I know if my breasts were empty. As a new mom I’m easily worried about messing up, but this video helped me relax. I can wait to pump until I’m getting close to going back to work.
So glad to hear this. Your baby should be able to do everything you need! Of course unless you have a reason to think it’s not working (tongue tie, baby in NICU, genetic defects, etc)
I have 5 children, and I have pumped once, and I literally hand-expressed. I needed my gallbladder removed when my baby was 3 months old. Turns out he slept the entire time and he never even needed the milk! This time around is completely different. I'm overdue with twins, and one of the babies has spina bifida and I'll be separated from him or her. So for the first time ever I'm having to educate myself on all this stuff.
I pump once in the morning after feeding my son. Then I don't pump unless he won't latch when he gets a bottle of expressed milk. I couldn't imagine pumping after every feed. I have a small stash cause I will be going back to work soon
I can’t imagine having a freezer full of milk- I have one days worth of milk in the fridge and sometimes I think what am I going to do with it???? Especially since I’m breastfeeding and pump when I go out anyway.
I EP because I had preeclampsia and had an excessively sleepy early baby for the first month or so. She’s now opinionated af and will only nurse under perfect conditions. I wish I could break up w the pump and go longer w BFing but I don’t know if it’ll happen. 🥺
It really depends what else is going on in your feeding journey! Sometimes pumping is the answer. If everything is going fine, pumping is not necessary.
EBF my daughter until she was 3 1/2, and the only times I pumped was before I HAD to leave her with my mom for a few hours and I would leave her with two or three 2oz bottles. Even at 8-9 months old, 2oz at a time by bottle was as much as she would drink. It's not always about the fluid ounces because our milk has different cal/fat content. So size of stash doesn't matter. Also, social media and these "freezer stash" brag posts are really influential, and while very impressive, just not necessary!
My first child I pumped more than nursed and I regretted it but I had an over ubundant supply I donated regularly to 3 families my last 3 however have had to work my but off breastfeeding on de mend and pumping to keep my supply alive!
I be was pumping all the time on top of on the breast but over the last two weeks I’ve stopped pumping because I have my daughter all the time about tonight I got worried that my supply was taken a hit not because my baby seems unsatisfied I suppose just mom guilt because I was pumping a lot at the beginning
I can't get pumps to work for me. I have the pink Spectra & an Ameda. Barely anything comes out, maybe half an ounce if I'm lucky. But when I hand express I get 5 oz. I feel the milk stuck up high in my boobs & I have to massage every time to get the milk to come down & out. I'm 6 weeks postpartum. I can't even breastfeed cause my baby gets irritated & cries when the milk won't come out fast enough cause it's stuck in there. I feel defeated.
I had to exclusively pump with my second. She had a tongue tie and would get so frustrated trying to nurse it just wasn't going to happen. My nipples were bleeding before i even left the hospital. I hated pumping. But i did have a massive amount of milk that filled up our whole deep freezer. So after i quit we just used off that supply.
I never pumped or gave my first two a bottle. For my third 6 week old I am trying to pump and give a bottle once a day although he has drank zero milk from it. I was hoping to be a little bit less tethered this time around
I did not pump for my four children but for my fifth child I am to increase my supply. I was persuaded in the hospital to use formula. I was so tired and in so much pain from my 4 th c section. I caved and I am so sad about it!
I wish i can just stay home and exclusively breastfeed. Pumping is so much effort but i need to pump for my son’s milk for childcare. I have no issues breastfeeding at all too. If only i could stay home but im working and studying and mommying hehe
Love this! I am having to pump some right now with my second baby bc I am an RN and am having to go back to work, and I definitely don't enjoy it. However, with my first baby, ten years ago, I was a military spouse & SAHM & I pumped maybe a dozen times & never did again. My daughter was not keen on taking a bottle, so since I was at home, I nursed and as an extra added bonus, I never had to clean any bottles. I BF'd her until she was 2 years & 9 mos. I never had a problem with supply. I WISH I could do that this time around. My son, who is almost 12 weeks does a combo of bottle feeding & nursing when I'm with him and he eats 4 oz just about every 2 hrs & I'm a little worried I won't be able to keep up with his feeding demands with pumping at work. Any suggestions? I have a Motif Luna, and am planning on getting either an Elvie or a Willow very soon. My goal is to breastfeed him for at least a year and if I can continue some after that like I did with my daughter, I will.
Pumping at work is definitely a challenge, especially as a nurse! A hands free pump is a great idea and sticking to a schedule is key! It’s easy to put the needs of other ahead of your own pumping, but don’t be tempted. Keep your schedule and know your workplace pumping rights. Good luck!!
Ive had 3 very different BF journeys! #1 I EBF until 3 months when I got pregnant with #2 and apparently your milk can change taste when you get pregnant and she just started to refuse the boob so we switched to formula. #2 I EBF all the way until 11 months effortlessly until when we switched to cows milk. I think he maybe had a few bottles of formula when he would be with grandparents or a sitter but that’s all and for #3 I started pumping to get a small stash because our 2 older children (10 year age gap!) that are very active in extracurricular activities and I knew in some situations I would not be comfortable just whipping out a boob 😂 ie: school functions around their friends/teachers! Turns out it was a good thing because baby girl wouldn’t latch deep enough to not be painful and she also started getting frustrated with the amount of work she had to do to eat after my letdown was over. She’s not exactly a patient baby 🤷🏻♀️ I now exclusively pump and she loves the bottle so much more! Pumping is kinda a pain but I’ve figured out how to make it work for us and I’m so glad pumps are an option! I’ve got an oversupply so when I get enough stashed up I plan on donating as much as I can which makes me feel really good!!
Hi Allison! Thanks For everything you do!Question: would there be much benefit to pumping beyond babies first year? I’m a working mom who breast feeds and supplements with formula as needed (I don’t freeze). I’m trying to map out when to stop/cut back pumping at work- currently doing it 2ce a day (9mo baby). I plan to continue breastfeeding beyond a year, but thinking to stop pumping and make the switch to whole milk. Haven’t found info on this online- only that formula isn’t necessary after 1 year & continue to BF until M&bb wish to.
Love your videos, I'm in my 3rd trimester with my second child... with breastfeeding my first child I had an over supply, and a lot of anxiety about not giving enough milk. I had months of a freezer stash and about 7months old I stopped nursing for work reasons. My point is lol, during that time with my over supply there were times I didn't have access to store the milk I pumped and it hurt mentally to be dumping so much milk away but at the same time I wanted to pump it just in case for some reason. Which brings me to my question, how do I let go of the unessasary stress of not having enough milk even when all signs are pointing to having more than enough?
I’ve been pumping once a day almost my entire postpartum life (8 months). At this point I’m afraid of getting mastitis if I don’t pump at some point overnight. My daughter can sleep up to 12 hours and after about 6 hours of not breastfeeding her I can pump up to 10 ounces. How do I stop doing this so that I can sleep through the night too? I don’t want to be in pain.
I wish I would’ve had somebody tell me this before I started pumping. I ended up so stressed out between nursing and pumping that it hurt my supply and made things so much harder. I feel like I could’ve nursed a lot longer had I not pumped and exclusively breastfed. With my next (and last) baby I will definitely just nurse them. I’m a stay at home mom so there was no reason to pump anyway, aside from thinking I had to from what everyone told me 🙄
My baby is having a hard time to latching onto me. I want him to get the nutrients from me beside supplementing with formula. I am currently engorged right now and wondering how long after can I pump after engorgement is over?
Definitely find a lactation consultant and get some help with the latch! If you’d prefer to pump, that’s always an option. Don’t be afraid to do what’s best for you, especially if things are quite going as planned at the moment :)
Some of us mom's have to work full time and can't breastfeed my baby all day long. I don't agree with formula unless you have no choice so.... Ya pumping is required for me 😑 y'all acting like we do it for fun
Pumping is awesome and I’m grateful we have an effecting way to express milk for our babies, especially in situations like yours! This video is directed towards those who add in pumping to breastfeeding because they feel like they have to.
I exclusively pumped for my daughter and I hated every minute of it. I am getting to nurse my son. So now I only pump for relief. And I have been worried about my supply and I’ve been shaming myself about not pumping enough. With all that being said, thank you for this video. 💕
I REALLY needed this video! First time my daughter and I just couldn’t get the hang of breastfeeding so I exclusively pumped for a year to give her my milk. Second time around was twins they were great nursers and I had a huge supply naturally so I never needed to pump but I still felt I should be just in case bc I was feeding two. In 14 months I never needed the freezer milk once! Baby number four coming in June and for the first time you’ve given me permission! I don’t need to be a slave to the pump and I won’t be! Thank you!
I think this video just saved me from starting to pump for no good reason. Thank you for your thoughts!
I’m an RN/IBCLC and I agree w your ‘rant’. It’s so hard reading the comments and questions from moms to moms on social media sites. Thank you for posting this, for us and for moms out there!
Thank you for the freezer stash comment!!! I pump when at work and have a freezer stash of about 75 oz that I have for days I pump less. The people on my exclusive pumping group have +1000 oz and I just don't get it. They also deal with engorgement and mastitis and I've never dealt with that with 3 kids. I don't have an oversupply, but I pump 4-6 oz a session which is exactly what my baby eats. I sometimes I have to remind myself that its normal. I also don't wake up in the middle of the night to pump when my baby sleeps (we nurse at home). My supply has not dropped at all and my baby is 5 1/2 months old. There are so many misconceptions out there!
You are a PERFECT example of just going with the flow and not stressing all the extras! Bravo for recognizing what you want, need, and making it happen is a way that works for you 💕
@@NewLittleLife I am having a lot of trouble trying to stick with a pumping schedule and plus my son doesn’t latch and suck and has a cheek tie
If you’re wanting some help with pumping, you can learn more about working with me here! Www.Newlittlelife.Com/pumping-for-working-moms
Love this! Sometimes the information/marketing overload can really stress a new mom out. It can even stress out an experienced mom to be honest. Thanks for setting the record straight!
Im.expecting in the summer and I love this video! Thank you for debunking the NEED for a pump. I really was under that impression that I NEEDED this and it was a part of my breastfeeding journey.
I’ve been exclusively breastfeeding for the past 3 months with my first baby and I’ve never pumped! To me pumping seemed like a hassle and one more thing to clean/sanitize/keep up with. For us it has worked out great, because I’m a SAHM. I’m sure pumping helpful if you need to, but not pumping is working out great for us. :)
Extremely helpful! As a FTM I also felt I needed a freezer stash even though I work at home and I'm not away from my baby. This video was made for me. 😅
I feel exactly the same way! Definitely needed to hear this.
I'm getting ready to have my 4th baby and I wish I would've found these videos years ago. I've given up on breast feeding so early with all my other babies because people made me feel like I was failing or not able to do enough because I couldn't make milk to store. I always thought I had feed at the breast, pump and bottle feed and I literally couldn't do. It was physically, mentally and emotionally exhausting and I couldn't do it for more than 3 the months. I can't wait to go into this next journey with fresh eyes.
SOOO glad to hear this!!! Reach out if things get tricky again and you need some help 💙
Pumping is breastfeeding. I’m so thankful that amazing pumps exist. It wasn’t my plan but having preemie twins, nursing them directly is just not in the cards.
I’m an almost exclusive pumper not by choice, so I’m grateful for the pump that still allows my baby to get breast milk. But my mom breastfed me until 2 years of age and she told me that I never, not once, used a baby bottle. She definitely never owned a pump. So it is possible for sure.
I exclusively breastfed my first. I had an oversupply, so I would use the Haakaa on the other side to catch what would spray out while I nursed her, but the last thing I wanted to do was anything that might increase my supply.
Funny enough, the first time I ever hooked up my pump was to try and induce labour with my second (so it pretty much sat and collected dust for almost 2 years). Good thing I took the time then to figure out how to work a pump... my second was born with a cleft palate so this time I’m an exclusive pumping mama! What a different journey. Thank you so much Allison for all your very helpful videos and reviews. I ended up getting a Spectra Dual S Compact and Iove it!
To all the mamas out there who are feeling the pressure to pump... having been an EBF mama and now an EP mama, I would choose EBF in a heartbeat if I could. Don’t pump if you don’t have to and don’t want to!!
Love this! Watching while I am pumping actually 🤣 My first was a preemie (34 weeks) and I pumped for 8 weeks until he was big enough snd strong enough to breastfeed. Once he got it figured out, I was thrilled to ditch the pump and NEVER used one again in 4.5 years of breastfeeding.
Just had my second baby and this time will be exclusively pumping due to the baby having cleft lip/palate. I am grateful we have this option but I really wish we could just breastfeed instead.
Such a helpful video, thank you! There's such a toxic culture, now, about needing to pump and being a failure if we can't pump 10oz per side every time (hey, momcozy, I'm looking at you and your sneaky marketing!). I've been in such a battle with my pediatrician over my baby's weight. He's expecting him to be a 25 pound baby at 5 months, he was 5lbs 12oz at birth, and insists that I pump around the clock, supplement with copious amounts of formula and take medication for my supply... I don't have a low supply and my son is thriving but he says "all other mothers pump, it's what you should do". There's so much blatant misinformation out there that it's nice to have a channel like this to turn to and share. Long story short, thank you
Thank you for sharing your thoughts on this 💕 I feel the same! No need to introduce a pump unless it’s indicated or the mother chooses to. Way to stick to what you want!
I think the reason I feel the need to get a pump as a first time (soon to be stay at home) mom is because I want to have flexibility. Baby will be born in the middle of summer. We will definitely be traveling to our other house 4.5 hours away weekly or doing summer activities so I want to have options. I also want other people to be able to help me if I need it. Of course, I don't know everything because I haven't done this before.
Omg thank you for this refresher! Im ebf my 5month old and constantly feel guilty! Like is it enough!? Other moms pump and give bottles upon bottles ...and then i literally have to reassure myself that he feeds when hes hungry, unlatches himself, has good diaper output, is very active and is spot on with his weight and above average for height ! Media ...just making it even harder for mothers!
Great video! Thank you for sharing this rant. I’m not a mom yet but I had also fallen into the “I have to have a pump” (or even multiple pumps) mentality.
I work full time but as a nanny and baby will be coming to work with me. I would like my husband to feed baby a bottle a day so I need a little freezer stash but probably nowhere near the pumping I had been mentally preparing myself for, and definitely only one pump. Lol
Love this! For my 1st I thought I needed to pump right away but luckily I had supportive friends that said NO! Bond with the baby. And that's what I did. I worked on a small stash before I returned to work.
Thanks for your words of wisdom!
I never pumped with my first and didn't feel guilty at all. With my second I did pump and circumstances made it necessary, but it was on occasion. Mainly I nursed on demand.
The title does not match the content of this video. I thought that you were going to rant about mom’s exclusively pumping and trying to telling people not to pump. I think if you change your title to mention latching mama’s that the title will be more true to content. I think your content in this video is great though. I know so many mama’s who need to see this. I also know a couple mama’s who supply other women with breast milk. I am an exclusive pumper by necessity. I latched my first born for three month through a terrible latch and through terrible infections that I just did not heal from. My skin is really bad and I have dermatitis so my skin would not heal. With my second I lasted one week with latching. I went to pumping after that. I stocked my deep freeze as much as possible because pumping is way to time consuming with a baby and a toddler. My first born was eight months old when I got pregnant. If I have additional children I will go straight to exclusive pumping so I don’t have to take a month to heal from one week of latching. Both children would not latch deep enough and had tongue ties. My first born did not get hers dealt with until she was almost 3 months and the second got hers done on the second day after she was born.
I agree the title was misleading.
I nursed 10 babies without pumping more than a handful of times. My 11th has down syndrome and with his low tone he wasn't gaining weight and I started pumping and giving bottles. My eyes were opened to this whole pumping world! Wow. I didn't even know insurance would give me a pump. I'm thankful for it now but loved the simplicity of just nursing!
Thank you for sharing your story Heidi!! 💕
Thank you Allison.
I was hell bent on creating a stash and becoming an over producer and even not being able to keep up with the milk demand bc I’m an exclusive pumper… not by choice.
My baby prefers bottle feeding and I’ve accepted this, however he will latch with my haakaa nipple shield. Ultimately I’ve come to terms with the fact that I won’t be able to increase my produce by way of my baby.
… but also not by way of my pump due to elastic nipple, cracked nipple and so on. I’ve been through it but I’ve learned so much thx to you
I ended up having to exclusively pump and had a lot of extra milk at first, so I had a large freezer stash. Fast forward to 7-8 months post partum, I had plenty of issues that led to needing to constantly pump and dump and eventually my supply just tanked. She also had a tummy bug that led us to stopping solids for a bit so she needed way more milk than I was making at the time, and the stash was so useful then. Thankfully my freezer stash is enough to bridge the gap to get us to 1 year. I'm planning to try nursing again if we are lucky to have baby #2, but will definitely still pump for that extra supply. Definitely agree that moms shouldnt feel like they have to pump, but also good to know that sometimes we need that freezer stash even when we didnt expect to need it 🤷🏼♀️ surely you could use formula, no problems with that. But personally I was really hoping to get at least to 12 months with breastmilk, and if it wasnt for my large pumped stash, it wouldnt have happened.
Allison, thank you so much for making this post. I desire to become an IBCLC for this exact reason. I recently had my first child and a LOT of the breastfeeding basics websites all say get a good pump. As I learned more about breastfeeding, I was saddened that so much good information was left out, and the emphasis was placed on pumping. Thank you!!!
I really needed to hear this 🙏🏼 I hate pumping
I'm a stay at home breastfeeding mom and I like to pump for extra milk 🤷🏻♀️ I like for baby to have a bottle (but cup now) of milk in the morning with Dad and I give the extra to my 2 year old twins.
I chose to exclusively pump because I felt uncomfortable nursing.
Great video!!! I only pump while at work!! I would love if I didn’t have to pump as I love my days off where I don’t pump at all, it is precious time with my daughter! Both of my sister-in-laws breastfeed each of their 4 babies and only pumped maybe a dozen time total for the whole year just to have milk for date night! It totally can be done not having to pump!
Thank you!!! I was so stressed out in the beginning and then thought to myself “Why am I listening to these you tubers you say I need to pump every two hours!” Forget that! I built a good stash before I returned to work and it was mainly from my haaka. I only pump when I’m at work and that’s that. I constantly remind myself to eat and I’ve always drank plenty of water. I want to spend time with my baby not pump every two hours
I had to pump when baby was in the NICU but I would have preferred not to! I only pump while away from baby at work. If I were a stay at home mom, I wouldn’t pump at all.
I wanted this to be my experience with my little girl. Unfortunately, exclusively breastfeeding only lasted one week. I was cut severely on both nipples and currently have mastitis. My little girl is 3 weeks now. It feels like I’ve been pumping for decades lol I’m tired. So… if there is an exclusive breastfeeding mom reading this, if you don’t have to pump, don’t pump! I believe that nursing a baby is actually easier. If you do pump, I think Allison is correct in saying you only need but 10-12oz if you are planning to be away from baby. I have way too many ounces in my fridge… and there’s really nothing to brag about. I also have mastitis due to over supply. So don’t over do it, mom! You don’t have to. ❤
I have pcos so i undersupply even with 8 pumps a day. My son has a tongue tie so sadly pumping is my only option. There’s way too much pressure on moms in general but especially around breastfeeding.
Thank you for setting the record straight on the freezer stash. I think it's great that women can produce that much but realistically when are babies going to eat more outside of what they already eat?
Something I remembered hearing only once before I gave birth was that some babies prefer either the left or right and that they will refuse to use the other they don't prefer and that's ok. Everything I heard after I gave birth was "you need to nurse and or pump both breast. Or to cluster pump" and I didn't know what to do moving forward because the hospital gave me a million reasons why I could not talk to their lactation consultant and in the end I stopped breast feeding because I HATED pumping and everytime I nursed my baby was definitely not getting enough milk because we would nurse for an hour and as soon as I took him off he would just cry as if he was hungry. I HATED pumping and i still do. It's just a reminder of how I failed and i had zero support from the hospital and female relatives too. I really want things to be different with my second baby (I'm currently pregnant with my second child ❤️)
As a working mom I have to disagree about the freezer stash. Pumps are less efficient than babies and I was never able to pump enough milk at work to feed my baby the next day so we had to supplement. I wish I had a freezer srash for those extra 5 ounces I needed everyday.
Needs do vary between each mom and baby, that’s for sure! Working moms, stay at home moms, single moms, exclusively pumping moms, and so many others inbetween! This video is mostly geared towards those who are exclusively breastfeeding and with baby most of the time.
Thank you for posting this!! ❤
Great video! I think we just need to keep educating moms because pumps are available doesn’t mean you have to/need to use it. The same thing doesn’t work for everyone. If you want to breastfeed just do that, if you want to exclusively pump go ahead, if you want to do both great! Or even if you hand express it’s ok. Just know the goal is that the baby must get fed and find the method that works best for you!
Wish I saw this video sooner. I made the mistake of pumping and bottle feeding my second son too early after he was born and ended up having to exclusively pump for him for almost a year because he would Not latch again. It broke my heart and made feeding him so much more work. Not to mention I felt robbed of m bonding with him.
I dry up pretty quickly so I plan to pump to try and make it longer.
It's astounding how many people don't trust their body to produce enough milk for their babies. I have a pump because I was always planning on going back to work after 6 months. It is handy to have milk in the freezer for my husband in case I need/want to go out without bub. But you don't NEED a pump. Baby will stimulate supply 🤷♀️
I needed this. I have a 3 week old baby girl and I've been pumping but shes never been given a bottle. I only pump when I felt like I needed to. So if she decided to barely eat when I woke her up in the middle of the night.
With my first, I only ever pumped if I was overproducing because it was very painful. I would pump until it's comfortable again and I was good. We exclusively breastfed unless I was away from him for any amount of time. I had a few bags of milk that I would store in the freezer for those occasions. I didn't feel the need to pump more because I was always with him and my milk supply was great. I love all of the info in this video!
I think moms that freezer stash a lot to give to moms in need are fantastic I think that’s the only acceptable reason to have a huge stash
Thanks for this video. I for one also thought I should have been pumping. I’m a breastfeeding mumma, have for my first who is 2.5 yrs now. I pumped with the hakka because I found that easier to clean than the medela and pumped only when I was going out. But the rest was on the boob. doing for my second as well the same way. All my friends have pumped and for a second there I thought I should be doing that too. But I find just breastfeeding is so much easier for me.
Great video as always!! Love your channel and informative content.
THANK YOU ❤️ I’m Done Pumping. I’m With My Baby 25/8 Lol ✨
Pumping can be stressful! My (early) baby did not want to breastfeed for a few weeks so I pumped and supplemented while he got the hang of it and now two months later I am (almost) exclusively breastfeeding... but it’s such a big help for my husband to give him one or two bottles so I can rest. I pump to fill those bottles and I would honestly just use formula once or twice a day but of course, I worry about my supply 😳
Woah what a Time Machine to go back and see this comment after my second baby is born 😂 my breastfeeding journey was SUPER rocky the first go-round but things are already off to a better start with baby #2 even though she’s pre-term. I just have so much better support + education + did I mention support this time around. I love that I still find these videos SUPER helpful!
I’m so happy you’re still here and things are going better this time around!! Having a premie adds another level of fun doesn’t it 😅
With my first child I only pumped at work but, I worked nights and she hated bottles. But, I stopped pumping the day she turned 1 and she nursed until 2.5 years old.
With my second kiddo I pump a lot more but, I work 24-48 hour shifts now as a paramedic so I don't have a choice. But, if I was with my baby all the time I think I would rarely pump because it's kind of a pain in the ass
As a FTM I feel guilty for not pumping daily as scheduled, thanks to this video, I feel relieved. I do feed my child on demand ( she feeds every 1 hr 30 during the day and during the night she eats less. She eats about 10 to 12times per day to be exact).
Sounds like you’re doing a wonderful job. No need to pump unless you want or need to! Well done, keep it up!
I pump because I had surgery / nerve damage and because I have chronic low supply. If I didn’t , I would literally never pump
I nursed 3 kids for 2-4 years each. A week before going back to work I did a daily AM pump (just a few oz) to build up 2 days worth of freezer milk for an emergency in case a bottle was spilled. What I pumped on Monday at work, was fed on Tuesday (making sure they were fed with paced bottle-feeding technique) and it was usually exactly enough. I never ran out; in fact I collected enough (ounce by ounce over about 9 months) to do a one time donation to my local milk bank.
This seems like SUCH a good and relaxing schedule! Well done!
I watched a video not long ago telling me to pump after nursing or else my supply will dry up. I’ve been stressing about incorporating pumping into my life for the pass week. I thought I had to pump in order to empty my breasts or else how would I know if my breasts were empty. As a new mom I’m easily worried about messing up, but this video helped me relax. I can wait to pump until I’m getting close to going back to work.
So glad to hear this. Your baby should be able to do everything you need! Of course unless you have a reason to think it’s not working (tongue tie, baby in NICU, genetic defects, etc)
I have 5 children, and I have pumped once, and I literally hand-expressed. I needed my gallbladder removed when my baby was 3 months old. Turns out he slept the entire time and he never even needed the milk!
This time around is completely different. I'm overdue with twins, and one of the babies has spina bifida and I'll be separated from him or her. So for the first time ever I'm having to educate myself on all this stuff.
Sounds like you will be pumping more this time around. Good luck! Hope you find some help here 💙
@@NewLittleLife So far I've found some. But I'd love to talk to someone who can give advice for my particular situation.
@@charlotte22 here’s a link to chat with my team, I’d love to help! bit.ly/45JgbXN
I pump once in the morning after feeding my son. Then I don't pump unless he won't latch when he gets a bottle of expressed milk. I couldn't imagine pumping after every feed. I have a small stash cause I will be going back to work soon
I can’t imagine having a freezer full of milk- I have one days worth of milk in the fridge and sometimes I think what am I going to do with it???? Especially since I’m breastfeeding and pump when I go out anyway.
I am the same way 🙈 not really à me either. It does serve a purpose in some situations though!
I EP because I had preeclampsia and had an excessively sleepy early baby for the first month or so. She’s now opinionated af and will only nurse under perfect conditions. I wish I could break up w the pump and go longer w BFing but I don’t know if it’ll happen. 🥺
So why did the hospital staff tell me this is the way to increase supply? It wasn't my idea.
It really depends what else is going on in your feeding journey! Sometimes pumping is the answer. If everything is going fine, pumping is not necessary.
EBF my daughter until she was 3 1/2, and the only times I pumped was before I HAD to leave her with my mom for a few hours and I would leave her with two or three 2oz bottles. Even at 8-9 months old, 2oz at a time by bottle was as much as she would drink.
It's not always about the fluid ounces because our milk has different cal/fat content. So size of stash doesn't matter. Also, social media and these "freezer stash" brag posts are really influential, and while very impressive, just not necessary!
My first child I pumped more than nursed and I regretted it but I had an over ubundant supply I donated regularly to 3 families my last 3 however have had to work my but off breastfeeding on de mend and pumping to keep my supply alive!
I be was pumping all the time on top of on the breast but over the last two weeks I’ve stopped pumping because I have my daughter all the time about tonight I got worried that my supply was taken a hit not because my baby seems unsatisfied I suppose just mom guilt because I was pumping a lot at the beginning
I can't get pumps to work for me. I have the pink Spectra & an Ameda. Barely anything comes out, maybe half an ounce if I'm lucky. But when I hand express I get 5 oz. I feel the milk stuck up high in my boobs & I have to massage every time to get the milk to come down & out. I'm 6 weeks postpartum. I can't even breastfeed cause my baby gets irritated & cries when the milk won't come out fast enough cause it's stuck in there. I feel defeated.
I had to exclusively pump with my second. She had a tongue tie and would get so frustrated trying to nurse it just wasn't going to happen. My nipples were bleeding before i even left the hospital. I hated pumping. But i did have a massive amount of milk that filled up our whole deep freezer. So after i quit we just used off that supply.
Amazing job. Thanks for sharing!
I never pumped or gave my first two a bottle. For my third 6 week old I am trying to pump and give a bottle once a day although he has drank zero milk from it. I was hoping to be a little bit less tethered this time around
I did not pump for my four children but for my fifth child I am to increase my supply. I was persuaded in the hospital to use formula. I was so tired and in so much pain from my 4 th c section. I caved and I am so sad about it!
I wish i can just stay home and exclusively breastfeed. Pumping is so much effort but i need to pump for my son’s milk for childcare. I have no issues breastfeeding at all too. If only i could stay home but im working and studying and mommying hehe
I totally hear you!!! Working moms are so under supported in their pumping efforts 💕
Love this! I am having to pump some right now with my second baby bc I am an RN and am having to go back to work, and I definitely don't enjoy it. However, with my first baby, ten years ago, I was a military spouse & SAHM & I pumped maybe a dozen times & never did again. My daughter was not keen on taking a bottle, so since I was at home, I nursed and as an extra added bonus, I never had to clean any bottles. I BF'd her until she was 2 years & 9 mos. I never had a problem with supply. I WISH I could do that this time around. My son, who is almost 12 weeks does a combo of bottle feeding & nursing when I'm with him and he eats 4 oz just about every 2 hrs & I'm a little worried I won't be able to keep up with his feeding demands with pumping at work. Any suggestions? I have a Motif Luna, and am planning on getting either an Elvie or a Willow very soon. My goal is to breastfeed him for at least a year and if I can continue some after that like I did with my daughter, I will.
Pumping at work is definitely a challenge, especially as a nurse! A hands free pump is a great idea and sticking to a schedule is key! It’s easy to put the needs of other ahead of your own pumping, but don’t be tempted. Keep your schedule and know your workplace pumping rights. Good luck!!
Ive had 3 very different BF journeys! #1 I EBF until 3 months when I got pregnant with #2 and apparently your milk can change taste when you get pregnant and she just started to refuse the boob so we switched to formula. #2 I EBF all the way until 11 months effortlessly until when we switched to cows milk. I think he maybe had a few bottles of formula when he would be with grandparents or a sitter but that’s all and for #3 I started pumping to get a small stash because our 2 older children (10 year age gap!) that are very active in extracurricular activities and I knew in some situations I would not be comfortable just whipping out a boob 😂 ie: school functions around their friends/teachers! Turns out it was a good thing because baby girl wouldn’t latch deep enough to not be painful and she also started getting frustrated with the amount of work she had to do to eat after my letdown was over. She’s not exactly a patient baby 🤷🏻♀️ I now exclusively pump and she loves the bottle so much more! Pumping is kinda a pain but I’ve figured out how to make it work for us and I’m so glad pumps are an option! I’ve got an oversupply so when I get enough stashed up I plan on donating as much as I can which makes me feel really good!!
Hi Allison! Thanks For everything you do!Question: would there be much benefit to pumping beyond babies first year? I’m a working mom who breast feeds and supplements with formula as needed (I don’t freeze). I’m trying to map out when to stop/cut back pumping at work- currently doing it 2ce a day (9mo baby). I plan to continue breastfeeding beyond a year, but thinking to stop pumping and make the switch to whole milk. Haven’t found info on this online- only that formula isn’t necessary after 1 year & continue to BF until M&bb wish to.
Love your videos,
I'm in my 3rd trimester with my second child... with breastfeeding my first child I had an over supply, and a lot of anxiety about not giving enough milk. I had months of a freezer stash and about 7months old I stopped nursing for work reasons.
My point is lol, during that time with my over supply there were times I didn't have access to store the milk I pumped and it hurt mentally to be dumping so much milk away but at the same time I wanted to pump it just in case for some reason. Which brings me to my question, how do I let go of the unessasary stress of not having enough milk even when all signs are pointing to having more than enough?
I’ve been pumping once a day almost my entire postpartum life (8 months). At this point I’m afraid of getting mastitis if I don’t pump at some point overnight. My daughter can sleep up to 12 hours and after about 6 hours of not breastfeeding her I can pump up to 10 ounces. How do I stop doing this so that I can sleep through the night too? I don’t want to be in pain.
Thank you!
I wish I would’ve had somebody tell me this before I started pumping. I ended up so stressed out between nursing and pumping that it hurt my supply and made things so much harder. I feel like I could’ve nursed a lot longer had I not pumped and exclusively breastfed. With my next (and last) baby I will definitely just nurse them. I’m a stay at home mom so there was no reason to pump anyway, aside from thinking I had to from what everyone told me 🙄
Breast pump ad played during this video lol
I pump at work so I can keep my supply for my baby
That’s great! Breast pumps have such a wonderful role in the world of breastfeeding, just like in your case! 💕
@@NewLittleLife ty sm 💓
I love the video
In 20 months of breastfeeding I pump 3 times 🤷🏼♀️🥰
My baby is having a hard time to latching onto me. I want him to get the nutrients from me beside supplementing with formula. I am currently engorged right now and wondering how long after can I pump after engorgement is over?
Definitely find a lactation consultant and get some help with the latch! If you’d prefer to pump, that’s always an option. Don’t be afraid to do what’s best for you, especially if things are quite going as planned at the moment :)
Some of us mom's have to work full time and can't breastfeed my baby all day long. I don't agree with formula unless you have no choice so.... Ya pumping is required for me 😑 y'all acting like we do it for fun
Pumping is awesome and I’m grateful we have an effecting way to express milk for our babies, especially in situations like yours! This video is directed towards those who add in pumping to breastfeeding because they feel like they have to.